Hatch-fastener.



No. 685,237. 7 P atente'd Oct. 22, l90l. c. m. HOLLEY.

HATCH FASTENER.

A 'uucm filed. Apr. 26, 1901'.)

1 (In Model.)

- WITNESSES IN VE1,V T 01? 7110M I Adamam. wa

Attorneys.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE M. HOLLEY, OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

HATCH- FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 685,237, dated October 22, 1901.

Application filed April 26, 1901. $erial No. 57,539. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE M. HOLLEY, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Ann Arbor, county of \Vashtenaw, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hatch-Fasteners; and I declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in' the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to hatch-fasteners; and it has for its object an improved hook adapted to engage over a ships hatch and fasten the cover securely to the coaming.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the fastener in side elevation. Fig. 2 shows it in front elevation. Fig. 3 shows it in perspective.

In all the figures the coaming and hatchcover are shown either in section or broken away, so as to show only a part thereof.

The fastener comprises a hook, which engages over the upper side of the hatch-cover and against the vertical coaming and is provided with a lever which is pinned thereto and arranged to engage under a hook that is made fast to the coaming and to be swung to contract or force together the ends of the main hook-and a hook which is fast to the coaming, thereby forcibly pressing down or holding down the hatch-cover against that part of the coaining which is arranged to support it.

In the drawings the appliance is shown as adapted to hold a wooden cover to a flange which projects inward from a vertical iron or steel coaming. This form of hatch coaming and cover is now in common use and presents some features of difficulty which are not found in the ordinary wooden coaming or wooden covers; but I do not wish to have it considered that my fastening is applicable only to what are known as steel hatchways, because the appliance is equally applicable to either steel or wooden hatch structures.

1 indicates the steel coaming, near the top of which and inside of which is a cover-supporting flange 2, generally made by bolting an angle-bar 'to the coaming on the inside thereof and below the top, so that the wooden cover 3 engages inside the coaining and on the flange 2. A half-round 5 is secured to the coaming outside and just below the top thereof in order to furnish a curved surface over which the canvas cover 4, commonly called a tarpaulin, is drawn. The fastener comprises a hook 6, provided with a bill 7, that engages over the upper end of the coaming 1 and extends far enough inward beyond that to engage securely over the wooden cover 3. The hook 6 is provided at that end which is opposite the hill 7 with a tailpiece 8, that extends in a line approximating parallel with the bill '7 to engage against the upright side of the coaming 1. Between the hill 7 and the tail Sthe hook is provided with an opening 9, in which is inserted a bent lever 10, and the bent lever 10 is held in place by a pin 11, that is inserted through the walls that surround the opening and through the lever. The bent lever 10 is arranged to engage with a hook 12,,that is made fast to the 00aming. Preferably the bent lever 10 is provided with an opening through it through which the bent part of the hook 12 engages, and the hook 12 is made with a threaded stein that projects through the coaming 1 and is secured by a nut 12 run onto the threaded partof the hook 12. The bent lever 10 is also provided with a threaded opening through which passes a screw 15. The screw is provided at one end with a means for turning it, the means shown in the drawings being a ring which may be used as the only means for turning it, or if more power is needed to turn the screw the ring furnishes a hold for a lever. The inner end of the screw 15 terminates with a ball that engages in a socket of a footpiece '16, and the footpiece 16 is arranged to engage against either the coarning or pref erably a strip 17, that is laid over the hang ing part of the tarpaulin 4.

- In operation the hatch-cover is placed on the coaming or in the coaming, as the case may be, resting on the flange 2. The tarpaulin is properly placed and the holdingstrip 17'is laid against the tarpaulin over the hook 12. The fastener is placed with the perforation in the lever 10 engaging under the curved part of the hook 12 and with the bill 7 engaging over the tarpaulin and the cover underneath it, and the fastener is pushed until the foot 16 engages against the strip 17. The screw 15 is turned to force the upper end of the lever 10 out from the coaming, and this forces that end of the lever 10 which engages under the hook 12 toward the bill 7, with pressure which is only limited by the strength of the material of which the hook and lever and connecting parts are made. The hook when under reasonable pressure holds very securely in position, as the hook 12 forms a fulcrum which coacts with the tail part 8 to prevent the bill from being forced oif from over the cover.

The same structure can be used with wooden covers on a wooden coaming where the cover rests on the coaming and projects so that the edge of it takes the position occupied by the half-round 5.

What I claim is- 1. In a fastener for hatch-covers, the combination of a hook provided with a bill adapted to engage over the cover, a shank and a bent lever pivotally secured thereto, means for engaging the bent lever to the coaming, and means for forcibly swinging the engaging end of the bent lever toward the bill of the hook, substantially as described.

2.- In a fastening for hatch-covers, in combination with a hook provided with a bill adapted to engage over the hatch cover, means for engaging the hook to the hatcheoamin g, a bent'lever pivotally secured to the shank of the hook, and means for forcibly swinging the bent lever, substantially as described.

3. In a fastening for hatch-covers, the combination of a hook provided with a bill and a shank bent to parallelism with the hook, a bent lever pivoted to the shank of the hook, means for holding the hook to the coaming of a vessel and a screw-forcing member, passing through an arm of the bent lever, and adapted to engage mediately or immediately against the coaming, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE M. HOLLEY.

\Vitnesses:

C. F. BURTON, MAY E. KOTT. 

